Studio 666 (2022)

It would not be an entirely unreasonable reaction if you rolled your eyes when you heard that the Foo Fighters were starring in a horror movie that had them playing themselves. Based on an idea by Dave Grohl, this could have easily been a complete disaster. It isn’t. In fact, it is a lot of fun.

It is time for the Foo Fighters to release a new album. Their tenth album. It’s a big deal. Unfortunately, Dave Grohl seems to have no original ideas left. He has songwriter’s block. Growing ever more desperate, the band eventually relocate to an empty mansion in Encino, a place with a history of rock ‘n’ roll . . . and murder. It isn’t long until things start to get strange, and Dave becomes the focal point for a destructive supernatural force.

Directed by BJ McDonnell, a man with an appropriate directorial background in heavy metal music videos and the third Hatchet movie, Studio 666 is a gloriously gory and silly horror movie, stuffed with all the right nods and winks to show that everyone involved knows exactly what they’re doing (from John Carpenter music, and a cameo from the legendary director, to a fantastic homage to The Burning, and much more). Writers Jeff Buhler and Rebecca Hughes may not have filmographies that inspire confidence, but they do well here in just having fun with the concept and characters.

Which brings us on to the Foo Fighters themselves. Grohl and the gang have always had fun onscreen over the years, in a variety of videos and with any appearance that catches them making one another laugh in interviews, and they’re all suited to the task of playing versions of themselves being surrounded by horror movie tropes. It may be bittersweet for fans to now see Taylor Hawkins here, so soon after his untimely passing, but I am glad that this got made with the whole gang present, with everyone able to bring a bit of their own personality and humour to make it a hugely entertaining ensemble piece. There are also small, fun, roles for Jeff Garlin, Whitney Cummings, and Leslie Grossman, as well as a surprisingly decent number of CG evil entities appearing in numerous scenes.

Last, but not least, this matches the number of gags with some grisly deaths that should impress even the hardiest of gorehounds. Electrocution, barbecue grill, shears, chainsaw, all of these things and more are used in despatching various characters, and one of them is a contender for the most impressive bit of bloody FX work I have seen in the past few years.

Your enjoyment of this will, obviously, partially depend on how much you like the Foo Fighters, but I would encourage every horror movie fan to give this a go. It’s a knowing and sharp blend of old and new, and also counts as a fun addition to that subgenre known as “heavy metal horror”. 

8/10

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